Mud and grime of Malaysian politics

Malaysian politics has indeed descended so low as to defy any sense of decency and integrity.

The case of PKR politician Elizabeth Wong, whose privacy had been violated, is an indication that one could go to such great length of smearing her image and dignity in the hot pursuit of political power. Almost anyone, especially politicians, it seems, can become fair game.

The latest development is that Wong has offered to tender her resignation from her state cabinet post and state assembly seat in the wake of her nude photos controversy.

As if this isn’t enough to worry about, today’s Star newspaper reports that: ‘A Gerakan Youth wing has lodged a police report over the safety of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng following reports in Chinese dailies about an alleged plot to “assassinate” him.’

Some people may want to dismiss this as mere rumour, but can we really take the risk of ignoring it? How low can our politics get? Who knows?

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7 Responses to “Mud and grime of Malaysian politics”

Elizabeth Wong is reported to have offered to resign to ‘preserve’ the honour of the party. She is a victim of criminal invasion of her privacy, her honour has been violated.

I would strongly urge the PR leadership not to accept her resignation. Public opinion is for her and against the perpetrator(s) of such gross violation of a person’s right. Politically, she should come out stronger from this episode.

this continues the series of blows inflicted on pakatan. like dominoes they are falling — it’s distressing. i’m saddened over what has happened with elizabeth wong, but i think she would be right to resign.
we do not as yet know the full story as to the pictures and, reportedly, a video clip too, but what is clear is that she has been careless in conduct in allowing someone close to her the opportunity to do this. what is now circulating, and the talks this will undoubtedly engender, affects — fairly or not — the dignity of her office.
you simply cannot have someone is high office being embroiled in something as public and embarassing as this. i’ve read farish noor’s impassioned defence of wong in kit siang’s blog but i cannot fully agree with him that politicians are entitled to a private life, and that this is something we must defend. it comes with a caveat when you hold public office — you are indeed entitled to your private life, but only in so far as it does not affect the perception of you as a leader and does not cast nor allow aspersion to be cast on your office.
pakatan supporters have, by and large, been vociferous defenders of wong. as much as i symphatise with her plight, i think she has been unguarded and sloppy, and this has allowed pakatan to be dragged into a controversy that they do not need. pakatan has to be better than barisan, and those who support pakatan must be guided by principle.
i don’t think there is too much of a difference between what has befallen wong and what befell chua soi lek. both were victims, both were fixed up; … it really is their own business — except the pictures circulating make it not. … the fact is, to be exposed in such a manner affects their ability to carry out their duties. like it or not, the nation has been notified and scandalised, and tittering and gossiping inevitably will follow.
i hope there won’t be any more surprises sprung on pakatan. it’s getting too easy.

Thor, you sound like Khir Toyo after a crash course in written English! That’s a whole bunch of crap you’re spouting. It’s high time we outgrow the stupid tendency to associate the word “morality” with sexual behavior. If there’s a drought & you’re hoarding water so you can sell it to the thirsty at exorbitant prices, I’d describe your action as “immoral.” However, if your daughter has a habit of wearing revealing clothes & experiments with tattoos & body piercings, I’d merely describe her as “sexy” or “adventurous.” We want politicians that retain their humanity & common touch & sense of fun. Who needs a pantheon of overdressed plywood cut-outs that only read from prepared scripts. That’s right, the last thing the world needs are PR figureheads who never reveal their true feelings & who pretend they they don’t even touch their willies when they pee. Of course, you’re at liberty to genuflect before the plenipotentiaries on display at Madame Tussaud’s.

If I were to be, say a principled politician (okay, this is only hypothetical) I would try to get facts and if they were to be as stated now by Ms Wong then I would be bloodyminded enough for the sake of principle to refuse to accept her resignation.

IMO, Malaysians unfortunately appear, even now in the enlightened 21st century, to be far too bothered about the pointless morality/immorality side of the dubious personal sexual preferences variety rather than of the more potent public varieties such as blatant greasy-palmed corruption or lying under oath or cheating the nation and the people of their wealth or evading one’s taxes or going aroung dismantling the people’s governance system and their constitutional protections through guile and manipulations and then go enact bad, unjust laws in extreme bad faith to keep the people under control with a leash around their necks and then to top it all, have the temerity to justify it all in the people’s won courts of law and lock them up and throw away the keys!

Who needs the non-existent bogey of “moral” hudud when you now have the plainly existent immoral bogeys of mad government, a brutal, pandering to the Executive police force and a dangerous, broken down governance system no more anchored by the rule of law.

But, hey that’s just me hypothesising with a politician’s hat on, which I can see does not obviously fit me in any way, shape or form, so please just ignore this rant/polemic/whatever.

i’m sorry antares, but for me it isn’t about morality at all. i couldn’t give a damn if the former health minister was cheating on his wife or if a minister slept in the nude. as i said, there is this thing called the dignity of the office you hold.

let’s look at the japanese finance minister who resigned. did he do anything wrong, assuming he really was taking medication for cold, as he claimed and consequently appeared drowsy as if he was maybe drunk? did he commit a crime?

no and no. but he had to resign anyway because, whatever the cause of his behaviour may have been, his demeanour and his slurring affected the dignity of his office. of course, the japanese will resign for the littlest wrong. we all know the bn goons won’t and will hang on shamelessly. i said wong was a victim, and i mean it. but i also think she has done her exco position no favours by being careless.